1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display panel, and more particularly, to a surface-discharge alternating-current plasma display panel, a drive method and apparatus therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows a general three-electrode surface-discharge alternating-current plasma display panel. Address electrode lines AR1, AG1, . . . , AGm, ABm, dielectric layers 11 and 15, Y electrode lines Y1, . . . , Yn, X electrode lines X1, . . . , Xn, a phosphor layer 16, barrier ribs 17 and a MgO protective film 12 are provided between front and rear glass substrates 10 and 13 of a general surface-discharge plasma display panel 1.
The address electrode lines AR1, AG1, . . . , AGm, ABm are formed on the front surface of the rear glass substrate 13 in a predetermined pattern. The dielectric layer 15 is entirely formed in front of the address electrode lines AR1, AG1, . . . , AGm, ABm, so as to cover the address electrodes AR1, AG1, . . . , AGm, ABm. The barrier ribs 17 are formed in front of the dielectric layer 15 to be parallel with the address electrode lines AR1, AG1, . . . , AGm, ABm. The partition walls formed by the barrier ribs 17 define discharge areas of the respective discharge cells and prevent cross talk between each of the respective discharge cells. The phosphor layers 16 are formed between the barrier ribs 17.
The X electrode lines X1, . . . , Xn and the Y electrode lines Y1, . . . , Yn, are formed on the rear surface of the front glass substrate 10 in a predetermined pattern to be perpendicular to the address electrode lines AR1, AG1, . . . , AGm, ABm. The respective intersections define corresponding pixels. The MgO protective film 12 for protecting the plasma display panel 1 against a strong electric field is formed on the rear surface of the dielectric layer 11. A gas for forming plasma is hermetically sealed in a discharge space 14.
FIGS. 2A-2E show driving signals applied to the plasma display panel 1 shown in FIG. 1. Specifically, SA (FIG. 2A) denotes driving signals applied to the respective address electrode lines (AR1, AG1, . . . , AGm, ABm of FIG. 1), Sx (FIG. 2B) denotes driving signals applied to the X electrode lines (X1, . . . , Xn of FIG. 1), and SY1, . . . , SYn (FIGS. 2C-2E) denote driving signals applied to the Y electrode lines (Y1, . . . , Yn of FIG. 1), respectively. An address period A1 in a unit subfield SF1 is divided into reset periods A11, A12 and A13 and a main address period A14.
During a display discharge period S1, a common pulse of a voltage VS, which is higher than a positive voltage VXB, is alternately applied to all of Y electrode lines Y1, . . . , Yn and the X electrode lines X1, . . . , Xn so that display discharges occur at discharge cells where wall charges were formed during the corresponding address period A1. In the case where the last pulse is applied to the X electrode lines X1, . . . , Xn during the display discharge period S1, electrons are formed in the vicinity of the X electrode lines of selected displayed discharge cells and positive charges are formed in the vicinity of Y electrode lines. Accordingly, during the first reset period A11, a voltage VRX lower than the positive voltage VXB is applied to the X electrode lines X1, . . . , Xn, thereby performing a discharge in which the wall charges are primarily erased. Also, during the second reset period A12, a narrow-width voltage of the VS is applied to the Y electrode lines Y1, . . . , Yn, thereby performing a discharge in which the remaining wall charges are secondarily erased. Finally, during the third reset period A13, the voltage VRX is again applied to the X electrode lines X1, . . . , Xn, thereby performing a discharge in which the wall charges are finally erased. Accordingly, all of the wall charges can be erased from the discharge space, and space charges can be uniformly distributed throughout the discharge space.
During the main address period A14, display data signals are applied to the address electrode lines AR1, AG1, . . . , AGm, ABm, and simultaneously the corresponding scan pulses are sequentially applied to the Y electrode lines Y1, . . . , Yn. The display data signals applied to the address electrode lines AR1, AG1, . . . , AGm, ABm are a positive voltage Va in the case where a discharge cell is selected, and a ground voltage, i.e., 0 volts, in the case where a discharge cell is not selected. A bias voltage VRX is applied to the respective Y electrode lines Y1, . . . , Yn during a scanning time, and 0 volts are applied thereto during a non-scanning time. Accordingly, if a display data signal of Va is applied while a scan pulse of 0 volts is applied, wall charges are formed by address discharge at the corresponding discharge cell. Otherwise, wall charges are not formed at the other discharge cells. Here, for more accurate and effective address discharge, a voltage VXB lower than VS and higher than VYB is applied to the X electrode lines X1, . . . , Xn.
FIG. 3 shows a driving apparatus for generating the driving signals shown in FIGS. 2A-2E. The driving apparatus of the conventional 3-electrode plasma display panel 1 includes a controller 32, an address driver 33, an X driver 34 and a Y driver 35. The controller 32 generates driving control signals SCA, SCY and SCX in accordance with a video signal externally applied. The address driver 33 processes the address driving control signal SCA among the driving control signals SCA, SCY and SCX generated by the controller 32 to generate a display data signal (SA of FIG. 2A), and applies the generated display data signal SA to the address electrode lines AR1, AG1, . . . , AGm, ABm. The X driver 34 processes the X driving control signal SCX among the driving control signals SCA, SCY and SCX generated by the controller 32 to generate an X driving signal (SX FIG. 2B), and applies the generated X driving signal SX to the X electrode lines X1, . . . , Xn.
The Y driver 35 processes the Y driving control signal SCY among the driving control signals SCA, SCY and SCX generated by the controller 32 to generate Y driving signals (SY1, SY2 . . . , SYn of FIGS. 2C-E), and applies the same to the Y electrode lines Y1, . . . , Yn. The Y driver 35 is divided into a scan driver 351 and a Y-common driver 352. The scan driver 351 outputs its driving signals during an address period (A1 of FIGS. 2A-E) only, and the Y-common driver 352 outputs its driving signals during the display discharge period (S1) only. The Y electrode lines Y1, . . . , Yn of the conventional 3-electrode plasma display panel 1 must be driven during the display discharge period S1 as well as the address period A1. Thus, the respective output ports of the Y-common driver 352 must be connected with the corresponding output ports of the scan driver 351. Also, in order to uniformly control the respective driving timings by switching, the unit circuits of the Y-common driver 352 and the scan driver 351 for driving the Y electrode lines Y1, . . . , Yn must be connected to each other. Therefore, the Y-common driver 352 and the scan driver 351 require many components. Also, many elements are required for separating or switching the Y-common driver 352 and the scan driver 351. Thus, the scan driver 351 of the conventional driving apparatus consumes much power and emits a large amount of heat.
A driving apparatus of a plasma display panel consuming a high amount of power must have power regeneration circuits. The power regeneration circuits are provided in the Y-common driver 352 and the X driver 34. In other words, in the display discharge period (S1 of FIGS. 2A-E), the Y-common driver 352 and the X-driver 34 withdraw any unnecessary power from discharge cells displayed in the current pulse period when the pulse of VS for display discharge is applied to the X electrode lines X1, . . . , Xn and the Y electrode lines Y1, . . . , Yn, and apply the withdrawn power to discharge cells to be displayed in a subsequent pulse period. However, since many elements are required for isolating or switching the components of the Y-common driver 352 and the X-driver 34 and unit circuits thereof, power consumption increases, which causes a reduction in the power regeneration efficiency of the Y-common driver 352.
As described above, according to the conventional three-electrode plasma display panel 1, the Y electrode lines Y1, . . . , Yn must be driven during the display discharge period S1 as well as during the address period A1. Accordingly, power consumption and heat emission of the plasma display panel itself and the driving apparatus thereof increase.
To solve the above and other problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a plasma display panel which can increase the power regeneration efficiency and can reduce power consumption and heat emission.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
Accordingly, to achieve the above and other objects, there is provided a plasma display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention including a front glass substrate, a rear glass substrate, address electrode lines, a first dielectric layer, scan electrode lines, a second dielectric layer, phosphor layers, Y-common electrode lines and X-common electrode lines.
In the embodiment of the present invention, the front glass substrate and a rear glass substrate are opposite to and spaced apart from each other; the address electrode lines are formed on the front surface of the rear glass substrate in parallel; the first dielectric layer is formed in front of the address electrode lines; the scan electrode lines are arranged in front of the first dielectric layer to be perpendicular to the address electrode lines to define discharge cells at intersections; the second dielectric layer is formed in front of the scan electrode lines; the phosphor layers are formed in front of the second dielectric layer to be parallel with the address electrode lines; and the Y-common electrode lines and X-common electrode lines are alternately arranged on the rear surface of the front glass substrate with the scan electrode lines interposed therebetween. The address electrode lines and the scan electrode lines are driven to select discharge cells to be displayed, and the Y-common electrode lines and the X-common electrode lines are driven to display selected discharge cells. Accordingly, since the scan electrode lines and the Y-common electrodes lines can be independently driven, the power regeneration efficiency of the plasma display panel can be enhanced, and the power consumption and heat emission of the driving apparatus thereof can be reduced.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method of driving the plasma display panel includes forming wall charges in front of the phosphor layers of the selected discharge cells while a scan pulse is sequentially applied to the scan electrode lines and the corresponding display data signal is applied to the address electrode lines; producing abundant space charges in the selected discharge cells by causing the formed wall charges to migrate toward the Y-common electrode lines and X-common electrode lines; causing a display discharge after the space charges are produced, by applying a pulse for display discharge alternately to the Y-common electrode lines and the X-common electrode lines to cause display discharges to be performed at discharge cells where abundant wall charges are formed; after causing the display discharge, uniformly distributing the space charges of all discharge cells while erasing the wall charges present around the Y-common electrodes and X-common electrodes of the discharge cells where the display discharges have been performed; and repeating the forming wall charges, producing abundant space charges, causing the display discharge, distributing the space charges.
According to a still farther embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus to drive the plasma display panel includes a controller to generate driving control signals in accordance with an external video signal; an address driver to process an address driving control signal among the driving control signals generated by the controller and applying the display data signals to the address electrode lines; an X-common driver to drive the X-common electrode lines in accordance with an X driving control signal among the driving control signals generated by the controller; a scan driver to drive the scan electrode lines in accordance with a Y driving control signal among the driving control signals generated by the controller; and a Y-common driver to drive the Y-common electrode lines in accordance with the Y driving control signal. According to the driving apparatus of the present invention, since the scan electrode lines and the Y-common electrodes lines can be independently driven, the number of elements of the scan electrode lines and the Y-common electrode lines can be reduced and the connection elements thereof can be eliminated. Accordingly, the power consumption of the scan electrode lines and the Y-common electrodes lines can be reduced, thereby increasing the power regeneration efficiency of the Y-common driver.